Airborne pollen and respiratory allergies: Case Study

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)-funded researchers working nationally have helped to reduce the health and socioeconomic burden of pollen-related allergic respiratory diseases by improving the monitoring of airborne pollen and public access to information on local pollen levels.

As part of a research program looking at atmospheric particles and human health, the group monitored atmospheric pollen loads in Darwin (2004-2005), and later in Hobart, Tasmania (2007-2009). These – and similar studies in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne indicated a need to evaluate current knowledge of airborne pollen and provided a framework for targeting grass pollens, some of the most clinically important due to their abundance, allergenic effects and public health impacts.

Supported by NHMRC, in 2016 the AusPollen partnership was formed: led by Queensland University of Technology (QUT), involving eight academic institutes and co-developed with partner organisations. The pollen-monitoring established by the partnership provides clinicians and respiratory allergy patients across Australia with accurate, up-to-date, standardised and localised information and forecasts on pollen levels. Access to pollen information via the pollen apps and websites increased from less than 1,000 users in 2012 to over 2 million during 2020.

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Originally published by the National Health and Medical Research Council